


We Didn’t Start The Fire

by WavesOver



Series: Tales of Esmia [8]
Category: Fruits Basket
Genre: Akito's a cruel person but a 'good' ruler, Death, Fire, Gen, Not Happy, dark story, messy solution to messy problem, shigure's an asshole
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-14
Updated: 2020-09-14
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:34:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,421
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26454964
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WavesOver/pseuds/WavesOver
Summary: Akito goes to Sonsuz Rüya to get his pound of flesh.
Series: Tales of Esmia [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1561237





	We Didn’t Start The Fire

**Author's Note:**

> If you're confused, please go to The Dragon Knight to learn why Akito's so pissed and why this war happened to begin with. If you don't that's fine, just be prepared to be _very_ confused.

Zeynel hung his head in shame as he hears the gates open for the black king and his forces. It had sounded so good to begin with, a way to help his people from the hunger they felt as they tried to manage the mountainous lands that they called home, a way to make themselves as prosperous as their neighbors to the south and west of them, a way to gain territory that his ancestor lose in battles and revolts. He should have known that it was far too good a deal, that that damned snake of Atlantis would only bring either ruin or betrayal, or in his case, both.

“My love?”

He turned to see his wife, his moon in the night, with her silvery hair glowing in the moonlight as she held her sons, born on the same night. He is honored that the gods would be so kind to their union that they had given both him and his love twins from their love. He cradles his wife’s cheek in his hands and fell a sense of calm in him, much like anytime he spends with her.

“Your Highness, the king from the golden alliance approaches,” a servant announces as the peace breaks.

The Golden Coalition. Such an arrogant name, those three made. He should have expected that. All three rulers are so young, with the eldest among them not even having a proper beard. Of course, in retrospect, ‘The Noble Bond’ seems arrogant as well, especailly when it was brought to light just how dark the dealing Dartz made are.

The door opens and the black king enters, smug and with a satisfied grin on his face, with his ever-present advisers behind him.

“Greeting, King of the towering mountains,” he greeted, his eyes full of sadistic glee, “ and to your whore as well,” he said dismissively, like he is with most women. A stupider man would ask if he’d treat his own mother that way, but he knows that the man in front of him would do worse to her, considering he had her locked up in some decrepit castle and only keeps her alive so she won’t be with his father before he does, and it is only because this is not his own kingdom that he doesn’t do anything worse.

“Now then,” he says, walking over to an ornate chair and plopping down like he owns it, “ _How_ exactly are you going to make it up to us after all the horrible things you had done to our person?”

He glares, both of them knowing that his own nation is nowhere near as prosperous as his, let alone the green acers of Esmia, which is in the precise point where it could control the flow of goods from the east and spices from the south. Truthfully, the attack he helped Dartz with on the black king’s land was just a consequence of them having a semi-friendly relationship with the young king.

The clocks kept ticking as they had their stalemate, him not wanting to give this spoiled brat anything more and the brat just staring on, just waiting for him to make one wrong move.

“Well? I’m waiting.”

A nursemaid brought one of his son’s in and his spine straightens as he sees the devilish grin growing on the black king’s face.

“Oh, is that your little bundle of joy,” he says as he goes to his son, putting his fingers in front of his boy and giving an innocent coo when he does.

His own body shakes as he plays with his son, tensions rising as the sadistic little menace prolongs that terms of his surrender.

“I think,” he finally speaks, “That I’ll be taking you son back with me. That seems like a fair trade, after all you did.”

He then has the nerve to give him a soft smile as he takes his son from the nursemaid.

“How dare you,” his wife shouts out at him, fire in her eyes as the black king goes to leave, “ You would take my son away from his home, his family, his own mother, while you twist him into a being just as awful as you.”

His eyes turned into sharp obsidian stones, ready to cut her tongue out. He places his son in the red-headed mans arms before coming over, getting ready to attack his wife like the dishonorable man he is, before the black-haired one stopped him.

“Well, I’m sure your wife is a bit tired, having to take care of two boys, and so young too,” the black-haired adviser replied, his own insides growing cold as he reveals that he has two sons, something he should not know, as if he was commenting on the weather, “In fact, this will probably help you make sure _both_ boys have all the love and attention that they need.”

The black king glares as his adviser for speaking out of turn before that damns smirk comes back on his face.

“Yes, I think that works out rather nicely. You have your heir, I’ll have the one who would have been in his shadow,” he says giving himself a satisfied nod, “Yes, I think this will work out for everyone. Shigure, bring out the treaty out and have them sign it. I’ll be busy with the baby.”

He the left the room, holding his son close to his chest with the red-haired advisor while the black-haired one stayed behind, looking longingly at his king before returning his attention back on them.

They stared at each other, one full of rage and hate at the one in front of him, for his kingdom and for what was taken so suddenly. The other was incomprehensible, like a ripple of a calm stream, a calm stream which hid great depths and raging currents underneath.

A breeze comes through the open door, but neither of them reacted, just staring into each other’s eyes like they were on the battle field, not letting the other see a hint of weakness.

But eventually someone spoke, but it wasn’t them.

“What else will you take from us?” the queen shouted, the only woman in the room, her nurse leaving with her remaining child, her fury directed at the one who had her child snatched up by some “Well? How much more flesh will your _Black_ _King_ take? Does he wish to end our line and place some puppet king on the throne? Tell me how much more ‘ _mercy’_ will your _fucking_ _Akito_ give?”

She then spat, like his name was a cursed thing to even say.

He couldn’t be any prouder of his wife.

But the one in front of them did not rage at her fury, or try to protest his king cruelties, or even a hint of guilt.

No, that son of a dog was laughing. Laughing. Like it was some kind of joke to him.

As if his loath for the man in front of him isn’t great enough.

“Ahaha, well, you see, my king was _very_ merciful in just taking your son,” the sly man said, a calm smile that did nothing to hide the dark emotions in his eyes, “I, on the other hand…”

He snapped. And then hellfire ran through the halls, men and women screamed for mercy as they were devoured by the hungry flames.

“W… what have you done?”

The black-haired man stared back, that twisted grin still on his face as he walks over to them.

“Oh, just a little insurance. To make sure that this wouldn’t happen again,” the monster spoke as he took his other son in his arms. What?

He turned to the side, only to see the horrifying sight of his love with a spear in her heart, being held by a guard that his cousin had sent.

Chills went down his body as the monster left with his son in his arms, his shock and despair so great he almost welcomed the blades that pierced his body.

******

Shigure leaves the palace though a side entrance as he hands the babe off to the king’s cousin and his widowed mother, taking the servant girl he found with them to be the ‘mother’ to the newly orphaned prince.

He then takes the long way around, making sure he dashes through the bushes to make his lie more believable to Akito when he returns to her side.

The fires burn brightly that night as the Black King left with his new charge.

**Author's Note:**

> Okkkkkeeeeey then…THAT was something.
> 
> As a summary:
> 
> Atem: *normal diplomatic measures that are nowhere near as harsh as they would be, with the Princess being invited to the crowning of his queen*
> 
> Usagi: O.K., you leave us alone and we’ll leave you alone, capeash?
> 
> Akito: BURN! BURN, YOU FOOLS! *cackles madly as the palace burns to the ground while holding baby Helios*
> 
> .... Less an accurate summary and more a impression of events. Akito didn't even know that Shigure burned the palace and killed the royal family of that country. Doesn't change the lack of fucks he has for their deaths.


End file.
